COMMONWEALTH GAMES PISTOL SHOOTING COMPETITION

Early day motion 416, tabled 14 November 2001 by Frank Cook (Labour). Signed by 1 member.

That this House commends most highly the organising agencies involved in the manifestly complex preparation for the staging of the XVII Commonwealth Games in Manchester next year; thanks most warmly Henneke Sharif for her briefing given to Her Majesty yesterday; and offers every good wish for continuing success in a very demanding task; recalls that at the last Commonwealth Games held three years ago in Kuala Lumpur, Micky Gault won four gold medals for England but was never celebrated in proper fashion in the media, presumably because his sport was that of pistol shooting; takes account of the fact that Mr Gault achieved this notable feat despite having to travel abroad to train because of Firearms Amendment legislation; notes that pistol shooters of England, Scotland and Wales are still inhibited by these legislative restrictions whereas competitors in the same disciplines living in Northern Ireland are not; notes too that in almost every other sport, home competitors will have the benefit of home advantage in terms of being able to train on British territory; and therefore calls upon the Home Secretary to grant a dispensation for British competitors in the Commonwealth Games to enable them to undertake properly supervised training sessions at the Bisley ranges from now until the end of the Games, thus making it more likely than it is at present for the pistol shooting representatives from Wales, Scotland and England to bring true credit to the United Kingdom as they have done so frequently in the past.

Signatures by party: Labour 1.